Detail - Bosch
Like a dream one wakes from...
I was awakened during the night and those words came to mind. Medievals connected the three vices.
Curious. I then thought of Our Lady instructing B. Jacinta: "Avoid luxury*..."
Then, as if still dreaming, another thought occurred to me that all of our luxury and convenience can be wiped out in an instant. In an instant life can change ...
I couldn't sleep and so I got up to do a quick check online. Luxuria was once the word for, and subsequently is associated with lust. Luxuria is the root of our word luxury, which pretty much means to indulge oneself - right? Wiki defines luxuria this way:
Lust or lechery (carnal "luxuria") is an intense desire. It is usually thought of as excessive sexual wants, however the word was originally a general term for desire. Therefore lust could involve the intense desire of money, fame, or power as well. - sourceNow I'm sleepy.
*"Flee riches and luxury."
LUST. An inordinate desire for or enjoyment of sexual pleasure. The desires or acts are inordinate when they do not conform to the divinely ordained purpose of sexual pleasure, which is to foster the mutual love of husband and wife and, according to the dispositions of providence, to procreate and educate their children. (Etym. Anglo-Saxon lut, pleasure.)
ReplyDeleteLUXURY. The possession and enjoyment of something that gives pleasure to the senses but is not otherwise either useful or necessary. Though not sinful in itself, luxury easily leads to sin or may itself be the result of injustice or failure in charity. As luxuria, it is sinful indulgence of sexual pleasure. (Etym. Latin luxuria, luxury, voluptuousness.)
Modern Catholic Dictionary
Fr Hardon's word just remain etches in my brain: "sins against chastity lead to sins against charity". I didn't have to look that one up ;)
Fr. Hardon's words just remain etched in my brain: "sins against chastity lead to sins against charity". I didn't have to look that one up ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks Maria - isn't that so interesting though? I appreciate your contribution and Fr. hardon's quote. Seems to me all one has to do is connect the dots in a sense. I too was thinking of how authetic charity has diminished - as in the more lax communities of religious and the old guard hierarchy, and so on.
DeleteThanks.
Terry, that line of Bl. Jacinta has always scared me to death. By American standards, my life is not luxurious, but I do like nice things, and by the standards of the world, even a simple life here in the US is "luxurious."
ReplyDeleteIt's just that I have severe moral panics when I think of say, buying new shoes or clothes, especially if my previous shoes are not *completely* destroyed. Or God forbid I spend money on books or video games or something. I'm never excessive - you'd never see me pay money for a huge entertainment system, or for ridiculously-priced goods, but I do feel that God is very angry with me every time I buy something that I do not absolutely need.
I make sure that I put away at least 10% of my income for the poor, and I'm always generous with beggars and other poor people in life. I COULD give more, I guess - I'm just so afraid God's gonna say "gotcha" on this.
Maybe Fr. Hardon's quote is good - it's when luxury leads us to sin and lack of charity that it becomes evil.
Mercury,
ReplyDeleteGod loves you. Period.
Nan
Nan, thanks. You always have the best things to say.
DeleteMerc - I coulda told you that. What?
DeleteAnd you do, my friend. Please pray for me to be able to pray. I can hardly force myself to pray the Rosary now, and I miss it most days - it used to come so easily almost.
Delete